Accepting
by kagiyuki
Summary: After the battle with Haku, Sasuke begins discovering new feelings toward Naruto. But poor Sasuke, he couldn't get Naruto to get the hint. When Naruto finally looks in Sasuke's way, Sasuke starts drawing back. yaoi not much lemon
1. Chapter 1: New Feelings

Hello! This is my very first fanfic so please comment or criticize; anything would help improve my writing skill. Hope ya enjoy the story! .

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, unfortunately

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**_**Chapter 1: New Feelings**

_**Isn't he a precious person to you?** I want to protect my precious person, to help his dreams come true, that is my dream. Do you know? Not having a dream, not being needed by someone, the pain of simply living. My father killed my mother. Then, he tried to kill me. Those with special abilities are often feared. That young man over there must have faced much hardship. I realized that it was the most painful thing: **that in this world, I am a person who is unwanted.** If someone who acknowledged you from the bottom of their heart appeared, wouldn't that person become the most precious person to you?_

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**To protect a precious person, he found the strength he never knew he had.** Is this the first time you've seen a friend dies in battle? This is the way of the shinobi… _

_This is what becoming a strong shinobi is? This is what protecting someone is! **I will NOT accept it!**_

Naruto, squirming in his sleep, is reliving the battle with Haku in his dream. But even though it's all just a dream now, he could still feel the penetrating pain. Not the pain caused by the inflictions of Haku's needles, but rather the pain of seeing Sasuke falls right before his eyes.

_Bright lights…_Sasuke grunted at the bright lighting in the room. After his eyes had adjusted to the lighting, he noticed there was someone else in the room. Slightly turning his head left, he sees a certain blondie sleeping with his head on Sasuke's bed. Sasuke smiled softly at how cute Naruto's face is when he sleeps. Wait…..did Sasuke just think Naruto is cute? How could this happen!

But his feelings for Naruto have grown in a way that Sasuke himself doesn't know how he feels about Naruto anymore. During the battle with Haku, Sasuke seemed to have lost all consciousness of himself, but instead all he thought about was protecting Naruto. No matter how many times he was hit by Haku's needles, he still didn't feel any pain. But it hurts him whenever Naruto was hit, and the pain strikes deep in his heart, deeper than any physical wounds can inflict.

_I hated you…_

_Why! Why did you protect me! I didn't ask you to!_

_Who knows…My body moved on its own accord, idiot…_

_I didn't want to die until I killed my brother…You…don't die._

While Sasuke is still lost in thoughts, Naruto wakes up and rubs his eyes before noticing that Sasuke is awake.

"Eh! Sasuke, you're finally awake!" Naruto practically yelled out that line, earning him a scowl from Sasuke. Naruto was barely able to suppress his joy upon seeing Sasuke finally waking up from his comma.

"I should've stayed asleep if you're gonna make a raucous out of this," grunted Sasuke.

"Geez Sasuke! I'm only glad you're awake, 'cuz you've been asleep fro two days already. Sakura kept sending messages checking on you….but not a single word to me," said Naruto, mumbling out the last part.

"Hmpph. I don't know why so many people bother with love and feelings. It's all a waste of time." Sasuke knew he was lying because of the immediate pain in his heart right after he said those words. It was because of his queer feelings for Naruto that Sasuke protected him even though his almost cost him his life. Sasuke tried to get up but winced when he felt waves of pain throughout his body. Noticing how Sasuke is wincing from the pain, Naruto reached out to gently push Sasuke back down.

"The physician said that you won't be able to make much movement for three days." Naruto paused and counted mentally then added, "you've been asleep for two days now so one more day and you'll be able to get up."

"Thanks for the calculation, genius. I figured it out years before you got to it," Sasuke said with his regular cold voice. When he finally got to a comfortable position, his stomach growls.

"HAHAHA! If you're hungry then just ask for some food. But then you're THE Sasuke Uchiha anyways, which means you probably don't ask for anything from anyone," Naruto said waving his hand in front of his face in a mocking manner.

"If you know me so well then why do you even bother asking, baka?" Sasuke closed his eyes and ignored the blonde. He heard the blonde leave the room and wondered if he was a bit harsh, but this is THE Sasuke we're talking about here. Him…sorry? Not gonna happen! A few minutes later, he picked up a faint smell of ramen and his stomach growled again. Sasuke waited and hoped that Naruto had brought some ramen for him (even though he doesn't ramen that much), but he waited for what seems like hours later and still no sign of Naruto. Sasuke became impatient and almost called for Naruto when the said person is slowly walking into the room with a big bowl of ramen. After setting the bowl down on a table on the other side of the room, Naruto went over to Sasuke's bed and folded his arms.

"What?" asked Sasuke, even though he has a slight idea of what Naruto wants.

"Is your health condition getting to your head now? I'm pretty sure you know what I want," said Naruto, still having his arms folded and is looking straight into Sasuke's eyes. Sasuke looks back into the sky blue eyes and felt himself surrendering. The next thing he knew, Naruto was feeding him ramen with a wide grin on his face.

"See Sasuke, isn't it good? And you could've gotten it sooner only if you weren't too stubborn and cocky to ask," Naruto said then sticking his tongue out at Sasuke.

When Sasuke finished slurping up the last strand of noodle, Naruto got up and left the room with the bowl. He returned momentarily and saw that Sasuke was asleep again.

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Sasuke slowly opened his eyes and saw that Naruto was asleep by his bedside once again like this morning. The moonlight shining through the window next to his bed makes Naruto's hair glistens, capturing Sasuke's full attention. Slowly, Sasuke lifted his left arm up to touch the blonde hair carefully so he won't wakes up. The hair felt so soft and cool in Sasuke's hand, causing him to softly rake through it. Naruto turns his head and mumbles some gibberish and fell silent again. 

A cloud passed by and blocked the moonlight, and as if broken from a spell, Sasuke quickly withdrew his hand and rendered confused. He was drowned in thoughts of why was he suddenly holding some special interest for Naruto. As if their relationship wasn't awkward enough before, now it's just getting more cryptic with every second they spend together. Sasuke pondered himself to sleep, still drowned in lost thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2: Fire

Konichiwa! Thank you guys for the reviews. I'll definitely keep those comments in mind as I write. Just so you guys know, the stuff following the Haku incident will not be the same as the original story, like the Chuunin exam and how Rock Lee and other characters are being introduced. That's all for now! Enjoy the new chapter. Ja!

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, unfortunately

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**Chapter 2: Fire**

"SAAAAASUKE!" said a grinning Naruto. "MORNING!"

"Ugh..why are you so loud this early in the morning?" asked a grumpy Sasuke. "If it was someone else in my place, that person would've died from your loud noise already."

"Well excuse ME for being excited that I get to go back to Konoha today."

At the mention of Konoha, Sasuke realized that he wasn't in Konoha for the past few days. "Wait, where are Kakashi-sensei and Sakura?"

"They went back to Konoha. Kakashi-sensei said something about an emergency meeting with the Hokage. Sakura wanted to stay and take care of you but Kakashi-sensei said that I have to stay and take care of you 'cuz there was some task for Sakura."

"I see." Sasuke tried to move his arms and legs and they felt much better than they did the day before. He started to push himself up in a sitting position but his back was in great pain, causing him to wince noticeably. Naruto noticed the wincing Uchiha and said, "You shouldn't strain yourself much. The physician said that you'd recover in 3 days, but it would take a week before you completely recover. Might as well stay in bed today so you won't hurt yourself."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at what Naruto said and said in a teasing tone, "You're worrying about me?"

Naruto suddenly tenses up and quickly turns around so that Sasuke wouldn't see his blushing face and said, "I-I wanna hurry and get back to Konoha." Then he quickly turned around, his right hang rubbing his head, and said with his usual grinning face, "If you're not completely recovered then I won't get to go back to Konoha… I know lots of people are dying to see ME back. If you don't heal yourself properly then I'd have to take care of you on the way back to Konoha."

Before Naruto turned around, Sasuke already noticed the faint red of blushing on Naruto's cheek. Ignoring the blonde's last few sentences, Sasuke chuckled inwardly at the still vivid image in his mind and thought _He's so cute when he's nervous._ Only right after he said it that he realized he had complimented Naruto, and in such a lovey-dovey way. The thought made him shudder inwardly but at the same time somewhat content.

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Sasuke wakes up and finds himself alone in the room. He slowly got up and walked around the little house. Sitting down at a table in the room, Sasuke saw a little note. 

_Hey Sasuke. I left to get some firewood. I won't be gone for too long so while I'm gone, try to restrain yourself from running after me, just kidding. Just try to survive on your own for a few minutes kay?_

_--Naruto_

_p.s. that includes not breaking anything or eating anything. Overall, just don't touch anything,_

_Dobe._ Just as Sasuke finishes reading the note, he heard a rattle at the front door. He hurried toward the door and opened it only to find a little squirrel. Sasuke decided to take a bath so he used the small amount of firewood left and heated up the water for the bath. Right before he removed his clothes, he remembered that he hasn't got the towel yet. When he turned around clumsily, he accidentally kicked a piece of wood, already caught on fire, to the side of the house.

Sasuke had to look for the towel all over the house. He finally spotted a couple of towels in a cabinet, but couldn't reach it. Looking around for something to step on to reach the towels, Sasuke found a few pieces of bricks lying about. He stacked up the bricks and stepped on them. When Sasuke tried to step down, he missed and fell down onto the hard floor. Now, Sasuke lies unconscious and unaware of the growing fire on the side of the house.

Naruto, humming a song, skips happily through the forest. When he nears the house, he smells smoke. Looking in the direction of the house, Naruto sees a huge fire. He dropped the firewood and sprinted straight toward the house. He looks into one of the windows of the bedroom and saw that Sasuke is missing from his bed. Without thinking, Naruto broke the glass on the window and jumped through it. He coughed at the sudden inhale of smoke. Squinting from the smoke, he searched for Sasuke and called out his name. After a few minutes, Naruto spots Sasuke lying on the floor, passed out. Naruto tried to wake him up but failed. He then hurriedly puts Sasuke on his back and tried to carry him out of the house.

They were a few feet away from the front door when a piece of burning wood fell right in front of them. Naruto thought for a minute then turned back to the bedroom. He wrapped Sasuke's body up with a blanket and made sure his head was protected before throwing him out the broken window which Naruto went through earlier. After he made sure Sasuke was out of the way, he jumped through the window.

Naruto managed to carry Sasuke, still wrapped in the blanket, to a nearby pond. Then he proceeds to unwrapping Sasuke and washing him up a little bit. Naruto was exhausted afterward and just lay down on the grass next to Sasuke, ignoring the wounds on his arms and back from jumping through the window, he fell asleep.

"_SASUKE! SASUKE! WHERE ARE YOU!"_

_Sasuke, surrounded by darkness, hearing every single word that person is calling out to him, but, for some reason, he can't respond. He desperately tried to call out but when he opens his mouth, nothing would come out. The voice becomes more distant as Sasuke tries to follow the voice, but in the end, he still couldn't find that person. Sasuke then dropped onto the floor, sitting on his knees, tears swelling up in his dark eyes. When the tears decided to burst out, Sasuke finally found his voice and started crying like he was a child._

"_IS SOMEONE THERE? COULD SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!" Sasuke cried out to the silent darkness._

Sasuke suddenly opened his eyes wide, still trembling from the fear and shock of the nightmare. On the surface, the dream may seem somewhat normal, but to Sasuke, it brings back deep, painful memories. He begins thinking about the destruction of his family and feeling the pain of loneliness and being neglected.

It took Sasuke a while to calm down and take his mind back to the current reality. The sky was still dark, and by the position of the moon in the sky, Sasuke guessed that it was about 3:00 am (Sasuke really is perfect!). He finally realizes that he wasn't in the house anymore, and that he was lying on top of a dirty blanket with Naruto sleeping soundly nearby. When Sasuke notices the wounds on Naruto's arm and back (Naruto is sleeping on his side with his back facing Sasuke), Sasuke slowly recall the going to take a bathe and falling on the floor unconscious. But Sasuke couldn't figure out how Naruto acquire those wounds.

Naruto turned onto his other side and is now facing Sasuke. Again, Sasuke is held in awe by Naruto's enchanted face, lit up by the silvery moonlight. Sasuke is now very curious about the cause of Naruto's wounds, but he knew the blond well enough to know that he wasn't going to wake up anytime soon. Sasuke lay back down but turn on his side so that he could get a clear view of the blond, however, refusing to close his eyes as if the blond would disappear when he closes his eyes. After looking at the blond sleep for about half an hour, Sasuke finally falls asleep again, still having a clear image of the sleeping blond in his mind.


	3. Chapter 3: Back to Konoha

Konichiwa! I've been super busy lately so I can barely manage to get to the computer. Well, here's chapter 3! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, unfortunately.

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**Chapter 3: Back to Konoha**

The brilliant rays of sunlight passing through the leaves gives little spotlights for little insects and bugs as well as sparkling the moistened grass on the ground. A butterfly flutters slowly around a beautiful and sweet flower but then move on to land on a nearby branch.

Naruto slowly opens his baby blue eyes, squinting against the bright lighting. He sits up slowly, stretches his arms out and yawns loudly. He looks over to Sasuke to check how he's doing and it seems like Sasuke is doing much better now. Naruto leisurely walks up to the bank of the pond and splash water onto his face, making the strands of his hair sparkle.

Sasuke wakes up from the disturbance of the bright lighting (surprisingly, he's not a morning person). Though his body is awake, his mind is still in its peaceful slumber, of course that is until the blond boy 'greets' the raven-haired boy good morning.

"MORNING SASUKE!" Naruto greeted with his usual grin. He was removing his shirt to wash the wounds when he noticed Sasuke waking up. Sasuke, turning his head slightly toward the direction of the loud voice, stared with bulging eyes and the view before him. Naruto was half naked right in front of him, his tanned skin glistening with every drop of water streaming down his body. The raven-haired boy barely restrained himself from drooling at the sight of Naruto.

Naruto finished washing his wounds and shook himself dry before putting on his orange shirt again, which caused a certain boy nearby to be quite disappointed but glad that he wouldn't have to fight himself from pinning the blond onto the ground and just took him. When Sasuke finally comes back to reality, he then started to question the origin of the wounds.

"Hey Naruto, where did your wounds come from? And how come we're not in the house anymore? Did something happen while I was unconscious?"

Naruto was quiet for a minute, sorting through what happened and told Sasuke everything that happened. After hearing the blond explain everything, Sasuke can't help but feel mad at himself that he was so helpless that Naruto had to rescue him and gets hurt in the process. He can't really tell whether he's mad because of his helplessness or because Naruto got hurt. _Regardless…_

"I'm gonna go take a walk," said Sasuke with his usual cold voice. Naruto thought about following Sasuke but instincts tell him that he should leave the boy alone for now.

Half an hour passed by and Naruto decided to go look for Sasuke (he was bore to death anyways). He started in the direction that Sasuke walked in half an hour ago and started searching for signs of Sasuke. Of course Naruto would occasionally get distracted by a rabbit or some butterfly. After wondering around the forest for 15 minutes, Naruto finally spots Sasuke sitting near a river bank, so lost in thoughts that he didn't even sense Naruto walking up from behind. The blond plopped down next to Sasuke, who finally breaks free from his train of thoughts when he heard Naruto sitting down next to him.

"So whatcha thinking about? You seemed to be drowned in thoughts. Care to tell me?" Naruto asked with his usual cheery voice.

"Like you would be able to help me if I told you my problems," Sasuke said with a smirk.

Naruto's grin disappeared and his voice changed to a deeper tone. "We're friends and teammates after all, and I just wanted to see if I could help you out."

Sasuke, surprised by the voice and look on Naruto's voice, started talking about what's been bothering him. "No one has ever understood me, like how come I'm so cold toward the world, and how come I'm so obsessed with success. The annoying girls who always tail me just think I'm playing hard to get, and the guys and adults just think I'm cocky."

"Not everyone thinks you're that way, Sasuke. Like Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, and me, we all understand you."

Sasuke turns his head towards the blond boy for a few moments then turns to the river, looking at his own reflection. "But that doesn't bother me as much as me being helpless. I made a vow that I'd become stronger than my brother so I could kill him to avenge my clan. When you were talking about the fire and how you rescued me, I felt helpless and useless. I hate depending on another person, even for just a second."

"You know, Sasuke, you can't be perfect. When a person is perfect, that person can take on any challenge, but perfection doesn't exist among human beings. If you're not perfect, then that means you have weaknesses, and you'll need help. Don't be afraid to admit your weakness, because it's something that can't be helped. But by having a weakness, you're a normal being just like everyone else around you, and you'd feel like you belong."

Sasuke is still looking at his reflection on the river, slowly processing each and every word that Naruto said. For some reason, those words made him feel hundreds of times better, like there was a tranquilizing spell put on him. He smiled at his reflection and then turns toward Naruto and looked deep into those baby blue eyes. The raven-haired boy then suddenly jumps up and announced "Let's go back to Konoha!"

Naruto happily nodded and jumped up as well, his usual grin returning to his face. Ten minutes after they took off toward Konoha, Sasuke stopped all of a sudden, causing Naruto to stop too. Sasuke then turns toward Naruto with a small smile on his face and said "Thank you." Right after he said those words, the raven-haired boy took off again, leaving Naruto to stand in shock for a few seconds before realizing he has to catch up.

_Is this the Sasuke that I knew? Has he always been like this or he just changed after our talk?_

Shaking off the curiosity and questions he had, the blond boy started thinking about seeing Kakashi-sensei again, and most importantly, Sakura-chan. They traveled ninja-style for a while, then walk for a while because Sasuke is still recovering. By sunset, they're already half way to Konoha and stopped to rest for the night in a dense forest. Naruto was in charge of finding food while Sasuke start a fire.

Sasuke has gathered plenty of firewood and started a fire, now sitting under a tree, waiting for Naruto to come back with food and water. The raven-haired boy grew impatient waiting for the blond so he decided to go off looking for him, and almost has a heart attack when he found Naruto.

Surprisingly the blond has already caught five big fish, and is now taking a bath in the clear water. Sasuke hid in a nearby tree, watching Naruto with bulging eyes. The raven-haired boy never knew Naruto has such a fine toned body, and the sunset only makes him look more ravishing. When Naruto was done taking a bath and shook himself dry, Sasuke quickly went back to the fire to check if it's still going.

The blond felt movements nearby but when he looks around, all he found was a little rabbit nibbling on its delicious carrot. Naruto got dressed, picked up the hooked fishes and walked back to where Sasuke is. They cooked the fish but Sasuke only ate one while Naruto ate the rest. Of course some remarks about how much the blond eats were made, and some yelling occurred.

After they finished cleaning up, Naruto walked to one of the nearby tree and cuddle up there while Sasuke leans his back onto a tree next to Naruto's. Sasuke couldn't go to sleep, however, because there were still things bothering him.

"Are you still bothered?" asked Naruto with his serious tone after he noticed that the raven-haired boy isn't able to go to sleep.

"Sort of."

"Is it the same thing or something else this time?" Naruto now props himself up using his elbow to look at Sasuke, who's looking at the crescent moon.

"It's something else…" After a few moments of silence, Sasuke asked, "Ne Naruto, do you really like Sakura?"

"Of course I do!" Naruto said with his cheery tone again. "I'd do anything for her!"

"You're serious? 'Cuz if you are, you wouldn't use this tone to answer my question."

"What are you getting at Sasuke?" Naruto asked with one eyebrow rose.

"Never mind, it's nothing. Just go to sleep." Sasuke slid down onto the ground closed his eyes, trying to go to sleep.

"Hmmph." Naruto hates it when someone starts saying something and then just stopped, like he isn't smart enough to understand what they're saying or it's too much of a bother to talk to him. Regardless the reason, Naruto is mad right now. But he decided to put it off and just go to sleep. He scoots closer to the fire and curl up into a tight ball and went to sleep.

After hearing the even breathing of the blond, Sasuke opened his eyes to look at the blond from the back. He tries to sort out things just rambling about in his mind, but he failed. Exhausted from the traveling and from all those rambling things in his head, Sasuke decided to put them off for another day an went to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4: Home Sweet Home

Konichiwa! I kno the story hasn't had much humor so in this chapter, i added sum humorous scenes. enjoy!

Disclaimer: me no own

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**Chapter 4: Home Sweet Home**

"SO GOOD TO BE HOME!" exclaimed Naruto once Sasuke and he walked through the village gate.

"Keep it down would ya," Sasuke said with more of a demanding voice than a questioning one.

Cough. Cough.

"Ne Sasuke, are you alright? You've been coughing the whole day," Naruto asked with a concerning voice.

Cough. Cough.

"Yea I'm fine. I probably have a sore throat, don't think it's anything serious."

"Ok if ya say so. I'm gonna head home now. Ja!" Naruto walked away as he finished the sentence, unaware of the intense look that Sasuke sent after him. Sasuke looked after the blond until his figure is completely out of sight and then started to walk toward his own house.

The first thing that Naruto did once he sets foot in his house was to make ramen. During the three minutes it took for the ramen to be cooked, Naruto changed his clothes and washed his face. After Naruto finished chowing down his delicious ramen, he took a nice long shower. The blond changed into his pajamas and was about to take a nap when someone knocked on his door.

_Who could this be? _Naruto gasps at a sudden guess he made at the visitor. _Maybe it's Sakura-chan!_ And Naruto was right! It was Sakura, but she wasn't there to ask him how he's been or anything concerning him for that matter. All that registered Naruto's mind was that one moment he saw Sakura, the next moment he was practically flying through the streets of Konoha, and then before he knows it, he was standing in the hospital beside a panting Sakura.

"Um….Sakura-chan? Why did you bring me here?" Naruto questioned, still trying to sort through all the images that flashed in his head while the pink-haired girl almost dragged him half way across town to the infirmary.

"Sasuke's in there." Sakura managed to say that much in between her sharp breathing.

"Um…..why is he here?"

"I dunno. Kakashi-sensei told me someone found him unconscious on the street and brought him to the infirmary. The staff here identified him and immediately notified Kakashi-sensei." After a few moments pass by, Sakura started to question Naruto, "Naruto, did something happen to you guys after Kakashi-sensei and I left?"

"Well, everything was pretty normal. Just that the little house we stayed in got burned to the ground, but I did manage to get Sasuke out before he was made into BBQ meat." Naruto finished the line with a wide grin, proud that for once, he was the rescuer instead of Sasuke.

Sakura apparently didn't register Naruto's "heroic" act because her mind was still revolving around the burning house thought. Then she suddenly snapped and went ballistic, running back and worth, pulling her hair, and seemed to be yelling but there was nothing audible coming out of her mouth, but rather her feet. She kept on going like that even though Naruto tried to catch her and calm her down. Finally, she was calmed down, or rather put out, when a bunch of nurses rushed up to her because of the noise she made and injected some fluid into her body.

A few minutes after Sakura was put out, Kakashi walked out of the room, silently closing the door. He looked around, not showing any surprise when he found out the pink-haired girl was put to sleep because of the excessive noise she made. Apparently, Kakashi had heard the raucous being caused. After hearing the story of what happened while Naruto and Sasuke were left alone, Kakashi went on to tell Naruto Sasuke's condition.

"Sasuke's respiratory system has some issues. The smoke that he inhaled from the burning house had clogged up the tubes that carry oxygen to and from the lung. The physicians had said that this isn't too serious, but if he keeps straining himself, his condition might worsen." Kakashi paused for a few seconds to wait for his slow blond student to catch up.

"So he's gonna stay here for a while then?" Naruto asked immediately after he has processed through Kakashi's words.

"Well….no. Since his condition hasn't entered a critical point yet, I've decided that he should just get a break from training and stay home for about a month. But he needs someone to take care of him." This time Kakashi paused because he knows what he's about to say will causes a raucous here again, after Sakura's.

"Well, then Sakura would be perfect for the job. She's fit to be a medic nin so we wouldn't have to worry about getting someone we trust."

"Actually, Naruto, I've decided that you're the one taking care of Sasuke," Kakashi said, managing to show his smiling face through his one visible eye.

Naruto's jaw dropped with a thud on the floor. "You can't be serious, Kakashi-sensei. Tell me you're joking." The blond isn't denying this position because he really hated Sasuke that much, he just didn't know if he could handle it. The fire and the rescue of the raven-haired boy have proven to Naruto that he wasn't fit to take care of anyone. Heck, he can barely take care of himself!

"Naruto, I know you and Sasuke don't exactly get along well. But you're the only person who is most capable of taking care of Sasuke now. You would know him more since you've already taken care of him for the past few days."

"Why not Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, recovering from the shock.

"Sakura needs to continue training, and besides, it would somewhat inconvenient to have only them two living together. Moreover, I was about to give you a break for a while since you had to strain yourself after the battle with Haku and after taking care of Sasuke these past few days." Kakashi paused for a second before adding an ultimatum with a deadly serious tone, "I've made my decision, Naruto."

Naruto tried pouting but it didn't have any effect on his silver-haired teacher. After he realized he doesn't have any other choice, he said, "Fine! But I have to go home to pack my stuff." With that said, the blond walked away, not even bidding goodbye to his teacher.

Sakura finally wakes up shortly after Naruto left. She blinked, trying to recover her memory of what happened before she passed out. Kakashi informed her of what happened, including his conversation with Naruto. Not so surprisingly, Sakura fainted yet again at the news that the blond boy gets to live with Sasuke. If she didn't faint, then she would've had a chance to persuade Kakashi into letting her take care of Sasuke. But now, all is lost and all she could do now is to escape to her dream world, where there actually is SasuSaku.

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"Stupid Kakashi. Stupid teacher. Stupid school that sets me with that teacher. Stupid hokage who approved. EVERYTHING IS STUPID!" 

Naruto was packing in his house, cursing at anything and anyone that has any little thing to do with his situation right now. _It would be unfair to blame Sasuke for this; since it's not his fault he's sick._ The blond digs around his tiny bathroom for his toothbrush. _But it is his fault that he didn't tell me he wasn't feeling well._ Naruto went to his bedroom to get a few pairs of his usual attire (orange jump-suit) and pajamas.

An hour passed by when Sasuke knocks on Naruto's door. The blond plastered on his signature grinning face and opened the door to let the raven-haired boy in.

"I'm almost done. Just need a few more minutes. Um…make yourself at home. Sit wherever you want." Naruto gestured Sasuke toward the living room (even though you can see it standing outside).

The walk to Sasuke's house was silent, except for the occasional interruptions from the female passersby, commenting on how coincidental it was to meet Sasuke on the street. Every time that happens, Naruto would feel a knot inside and just continues walking, trying to ignore the flirty girls surrounding an annoyed Uchiha.

Sasuke never showed any sign of annoyance but if he was to be closely observed, there'd be evident veins on his neck and forehead. He managed to escape from the hurdle of obsessed girls and catch with Naruto, every time wondering why the blond didn't make any remark about his fan girls and such.

The two boys finally reached the Uchiha mansion. The raven-haired boy stopped in front of his magnificent gate while Naruto kept on walking, not even paying attention to his surroundings.

"Where are you going?" asked Sasuke.

"To your house of course."

"**This** is my house."

Naruto stopped in his track and turned around; only drop his jaw, for the second time today, at the majestic mansion. The mansion was so big that it seemed to be hovering over Naruto with its shadow. Sasuke picked up Naruto's jaw and proceeded to enter the gate, dragging the blond with him since his legs seemed to be immobilized.


	5. Chapter 5: Awkward

Hola! Dunno why but I suddenly feel like speaking sum Spanish. Thanx for the reviews you guys! This chapter seems longer than the other ones but it's just bcuz of the short dialogues. Well, I'll let you guys enjoy the new chapter now. Hasta la vista!

Disclaimer: me no owning

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**Chapter 5: Awkward**

One big mansion. Two bathrooms: one on the first floor and one on the second floor. One kitchen on the first floor. One dining room on the first floor. One big living room that you can see when you walk through the double front door. One abnormally big bedroom on the second floor. One study/office/computer room on the second floor. A laundry room next to the kitchen on the first floor. A dusty old storage room on the second floor.

Naruto plopped down on the couch in the living room after the 10 minutes tour of Sasuke's more-like-mansion house. The blond has never seen house this big before, especially a house this big with only one bedroom, which brings Naruto back to making a decision.

XoXFlashbackXoX

"Wait, so you only have **one** bedroom?" Naruto asked after Sasuke showed him the bedroom.

"Apparently, unless there's another one I just never knew about." Sasuke said, not expecting Naruto to actually believe him until he saw the blond's eyes sparkled with hope. Sasuke then added, "There's only **one** bedroom."

"So where am I supposed to sleep at?"

"You got two options. Sleep in this bedroom or-"

"So you'd sleep in some other place?"

"No."

"Then we'd have to share the room."

"Duh."

"…What's the other option?"

"Sleep on the couch."

…

"I've decided. I'm gonna go home. You can take care of yourself just fine." Naruto picked up his bag as he finishes the sentence but was stopped by Sasuke's words.

"How are you gonna become a hokage if you can't even handle this little deal?"

The blond stopped for a few seconds and then turns around with a deadly look and announced, "I WILL BECOME HOKAGE! AND THIS LITTLE DEAL IS **NOT** GONNA GET ME!" With that said, he stomped downstairs, muttering something about being thirsty and needing a drink, so he could buy some time to think this over.

XoXEnd of FlashbackXoX

"So where do you wanna sleep at?" Sasuke asked as he walks up and plopped down on the couch, saving a little distance between them, and turns on the TV.

"Guess I'll have to share the room with you."

"Cool with me. I'll show you where to put your clothes at later. Let's watch TV now."

* * *

"Could you give me the mustard?" Sasuke handed the mustard to Naruto almost immediately, trying to avoid eye contacts.

XoXFlashbackXoX

After they watched TV, Sasuke showed Naruto where to put his clothes at. While Naruto was unpacking, Sasuke went to get a shower. Naruto walked to the second-floor bathroom to put away his toothbrush, unaware that Sasuke was getting ready to get a shower. Sasuke didn't even sense Naruto approaching him, until it was too late.

Naruto opened the door, dropping his toothbrush at the sight of a **completely** naked Sasuke, who quickly turned to look at the entrance at the noise of the door opening. An intense silence followed, with Naruto's face red as a tomato, and Sasuke just staring with wide eyes.

…

Sanity finally returned to the two boys when Naruto slammed the door closed.

"Sorry!" Naruto apologized through the closed doors as he rushed downstairs and out of the house. He leaned his back onto the front doors and panted. He may look fine on the outside but in his mind, random words of the previous scenario just kept flashing and echoing in his mind.

_Sasuke…naked Sasuke…**totally naked**…bathroom…gonna share bedroom…_

…

……

_GYAHHHH! WHAT AM I GONNA DO!_

After his turbulent mind calmed down, Naruto decided to take a walk. He just kept on walking in silence and before he knew it, he was at the playground. The blond sat in the sand box and drew random things on the sand while his mind wondered back to the image of the naked Sasuke. Suddenly, his consciousness kicked in. _WAIT! Why am I thinking of Sasuke naked? **NAKED!**_ But then, he started blushing at how well-built Sasuke's body was, ignoring the fact that some part of his mind is opposing the mere thought of Sasuke.

After the raven-haired boy hears the front doors slam shut, he plopped onto the marble flooring in the bathroom. Sasuke still has wide eyes and his mind is still stuck on that scenario: _Naruto…me naked…**completely** naked…living together…sharing a **room**…_

_WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!  
_

A few minutes passed by before Sasuke's chaotic mind calms down. _Guess there's nothing I can do right now to resolve anything. I can only hope that he'll still stay here._ He turned on the water and got in the tub to take a nice, long, relaxing bath.

_But what happens if he leaves? What would I do?_ The mere thought of Naruto leaving cuts deep into Sasuke's heart. He closed his eyes and tried to push all of those thoughts out, but every time he tries, his mind gets hooked onto Naruto even more.

Sasuke finished taking his bath and went downstairs to eat dinner. Right when he was waiting for the hot dogs, Naruto opened the double front doors and walked in. The raven-haired boy is running through all the options he has right now.

_Talk to him up front about it._

_Yell at Naruto for not knowing that he was in there._

_Be quiet and try to avoid the subject; act like nothing happened._

_Act nonchalant if the subject happens to spring up._

_Let's see…#1 definitely isn't gonna work since every time I think about it, I just lose all sanity. #2 isn't any better because a fight with him right now means I might lose everything. #3 might work; at least it's better than the first two. #4 makes me seem too cold, and any chance I might have had with him would all evaporate._

Unfortunately, Sasuke's mental chit-chat was cut short because Naruto was walking toward the kitchen upon the smell of food.

"What are we having for dinner?" asked Naruto, already pushing all his troubles to the side, allowing food to take center stage in his mind.

Seeing the blond's state, Sasuke came up with his conclusion. _#3 turns out to be most adequate after all._ "I'm heating up some corn dogs."

Naruto was somewhat disappointed that they weren't going to have ramen, even though he brought a two-week's supply of ramen over. But Naruto wasn't going to complain about food! He doesn't care about what kind of food he eats, as long as he gets to eat something. The microwave's beeps signal that the blond can start chowing down on the not-so-fresh-yet-delicious corn dogs.

XoXEnd of FlashbackXoX

Apparently, Naruto isn't thinking about the previous scenario since his mind is focusing all of its power on his corn dogs. Of course Sasuke is glad because he knows he'll have more time to prepare his respond when they hit the subject later on.

* * *

After dinner, Naruto watched TV while Sasuke changes into his pajamas and brushes his teeth. The blond wanted to get ready for bed too, but he refrained from this course of action when his mind replays the awkward situation he was in earlier today.

Sasuke walked out of the bathroom and walked downstairs. He sat down on the other end of the couch currently occupied by Naruto, and watched TV. The blond knew this was a silent signal that he could use the bathroom to get ready for bed.

When Naruto got out of the bathroom, the TV downstairs was turned off and Sasuke was already in the bedroom. When the blond walks into the room, both boys avoided eye contacts. Naruto lied down on the far end of the bed, serving as a sign for Sasuke to stay on the other far end.

The raven-haired boy was listening to the blond's breathing, waiting until it evens out, a sign of him finally asleep. Sasuke then turns around to look at the tanned skin of the other boy across the bed. He wanted to scoot closer to the blond, but possible consequences ran through his mind and he decided not to do that.


	6. Chapter 6: A VERY Cute Naruto

Hi guys! Thank you for your reviews!

It always take me a long time to write a new chapter cuz I'm so lazy to get started on a new one, but once I get started, it doesn't take long to finish it. I was actually planning something a little different from wat I have in this chapter, but I got through 3 pages in MW already but still haven't gotten to the main point I intended on including so I saved it for another chapter instead.

Hope you guys enjoy this one! Later!

Disclaimer: me no owning

* * *

**Chapter 6: A VERY Cute Naruto  
**

It's been two days since that awkward incident, and the two boys have been avoiding each other as well as the subject ever since. No one else noticed the difference since they act and talk the same in public. Only little hints of their avoidance are shown through the way they refrain from looking at each other straight in the eyes, and careful not to come in physical contact. These hints were hidden from everyone, except for one pink-headed obsessed-with-Sasuke girl.

It's no surprise that she'd be the one to find these hints since she examines him with her 20/20 eye sight, and observe his every movement. A fallen strand of hair or a change in his eating habits wouldn't be able to escape her. So Sakura has decided that she'd call Naruto out to have a 'little talk' with him, concerning Sasuke; of course she'd leave the part "concerning Sasuke" out since she figures it'd be easier not to let him know that.

"Hey Naruto," Sakura walks up to Naruto, who is currently chowing down on his miso soup at his favorite ramen stand.

"O- -ey –a-u-a," Naruto replied, forgetting that he just stuffed his mouth and the girl couldn't understand a word he just said. Realizing that when Sakura stopped in her track and raised an eyebrow at him, he quickly swallowed and restate his reply, "Hi Sakura-chan!"

"Listen, I need to talk you in private. Kakashi-sensei gave me a day off tomorrow, so meet me at the bridge at two in the afternoon tomorrow, 'kay?"

Naruto, having no clue that this meeting is going to be all about Sasuke, quickly nodded and grinned like a hyena. "I'll see ya tomorrow then!" he called after her when she was walking away.

_I can't believe it! A **date** with Sakura! And **she** asked **me**! I can't wait 'til tomorrow!_

* * *

Brilliant rays of sunlight shine through the window, waking up the usually morning-type blond. Naruto sat up and bolted right out of bed and dashed to the bathroom like an electron excited by sunlight. He actually took a shower that lasted longer than half an hour; this hasn't happened in years (mainly because he always wakes up late and in a rush to get somewhere). After the nice long shower, Naruto picked out an outfit different from the orange jump-suit he normally wears. It's a white T-shirt with a little box at the right corner, and the shorts were blue with orange lines at the hem.

Sasuke was woken up by the noises Naruto made. He didn't get out of bed, but just propped up an elbow while watching the blond dash back and forth, brushing his hair, and picking out attire aside from the usual orange jump-suit. The raven-haired boy had to admit that Naruto looks rather handsome, with a touch of cuteness from the whisker marks on his cheeks.

After watching the blond rushing in and out of the room, Sasuke finally gets out of bed and get ready for the day ahead. It only took him one hour to brush his teeth, take a shower, brush and spike his hair. When he was ready, he walked downstairs to find a familiar smell, ramen. Naruto was standing next to the counter, waiting for the three minutes it took to cook the ramen.

"Want some ramen?" asked Naruto upon seeing the raven-haired boy appear at the kitchen doorframe.

Sasuke thought over the offer, shrugged and added, "Why not."

Naruto took out another cup of ramen instant noodle and pour some more water into the kettle. While Sasuke wait for the water to boil, Naruto took his ramen cup to the dining room and started eating. Sasuke's noodle was ready a few minutes later and he carried it to the dining room.

"You have a date today?" Sasuke asked the blond as he seated himself next to him.

"How cha know?" the blond asked, somewhat curious how Sasuke would know he has a 'date' with Sakura today.

"You woke up early. Took an almost-an-hour long shower. Wear clothing aside from the orange jump-suit ya normally wear…" Sasuke paused for a second to go over what he saw earlier and see if he missed anything, then concluded, "and you brushed your hair."

"Have you ever notice you received talents of a stalker?"

"That's not called stalking skills. That's called being observant, which someone like you wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

"Yea yea whatever."

"So you got a date today," Sasuke's voice hinted that he was rather declaring a fact than asking a question.

"Yea so what? Any of your business?" the blond retorted, then quickly added teasingly, "Oh wait…it would be your business, since the person I'm seeing today is actually a former fan of yours."

At that, the raven-haired boy raised an eyebrow and asked, "Former fan?"

"Do you not know her because you got too many fans or you just ignore them all together? No wonder she wanted to date me!" Naruto finished his ramen cup and stood up.

"Wait, so who are you seeing today?" Sasuke already finished his ramen; he just sat there and continued talking because he became interested in the "former fan" section.

"Well, if you have absolutely no clue, then I guess I'll just have to tell ya," Naruto says as he pushes in his chair, "it's Sakura-chan."

"Haruno Sakura? Our teammate?" Sasuke asked as he pushes in his chair and follow Naruto into the kitchen.

"Any other Sakura ya know?" Naruto finished washing his chopsticks and moved aside, facing Sasuke, who is now throwing away the noodle cup and washing his chopsticks.

"It just…surprises me that she'd ask you out," Sasuke said in monotone.

"Wa- what do you mean by that? Are you saying that I'm completely out of her league!" Naruto was seriously offended by Sasuke's previous statement.

"N- No that's not what I meant," Sasuke defended, trying to pick his words carefully this time. "I meant to say that it's odd that Sakura would date you. I've always thought that she only sees you as a close friend."

"Well, she doesn't anymore!" With that said, Naruto stormed up the stairs and slammed the door to the bedroom.

Sasuke sighs, somewhat upset at himself for angering the blond over something not worth it. _Oh well, I'll just let him cool down._ With that thought in mind, he went to the living room and watched TV.

Inside the bedroom, Naruto crouches on the floor next to one of the windows. For some reason, he just couldn't help but feel very offended by Sasuke's words. _Why does it hurt so much? Is it because that makes me seem like an unwanted person?_

All of a sudden, Haku's words echoed back into the blond's mind.

"_I realized that the most painful thing in this world is to know that I am a person unwanted."_

"_Do you know the pain of not having a dream, not being needed by someone, the pain of simply living?"_

_The pain of not being needed by someone; the pain of simply living…_

A soft knock on the door fished Naruto out of his sea of lost thoughts.

"Naruto…sorry…if my words…offended you," Sasuke spoke with a soft and quiet tone, almost inaudible.

The blond continued sitting there, not even thinking about replying to the boy outside. A few minutes later, Sasuke reluctantly left. Naruto was drawn back into his sea of lost thoughts.

"_If someone who acknowledged you from the bottom of their heart appeared, wouldn't that person become the most precious person to you?"_

"_To protect a precious person, he found the strength he never knew he had."_

"_Isn't he a precious person to you?"_

_Am I really a precious person to him? Or was he merely being a good teammate and a good friend?_

_UGH…I don't wanna think about this! Why is it so complex? Why is **he** so comples!_

The doorbell rings and Sasuke got up from the couch to answer the door.

"Hello Sasuke-kun!" greeted the pink-haired girl currently standing at the door.

"Sakura-chan…you're here for Naruto, right?"

"Hai. I told him to meet at me bridge, but I got some spare time so I decided to come by and get him," lied Sakura. She only went there because she wanted an excuse to maybe talk to Sasuke for a little bit, and observe him for a little more too._ "I can't believe I'm at Sasuke's house!" _yelled inner Sakura. Of course another reason she was there is because she had never been to Sasuke's house before, so this is a great opportunity to perhaps "borrow" some interesting "artifacts" from this visit.

"I see. He's in the bedroom right now so I'll go get him," Sasuke said half-heartedly. He admits that he is getting jealous, jealous that Naruto would do so much for this pink-head.

Another knock descends upon the bedroom door, a bit louder this time.

"Naruto, Sakura is here," Sasuke announced, then leave as soon as he finishes.

"_Get yourself together, man!" _Naruto's inner-self demanded. The blond then bolted up, smoothing his clothes and ran his fingers through his silky blond hair. _I'm gonna forget that Sasuke and enjoy myself!_

"Good afternoon, Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted as he walks down the stairs.

Sakura, who was busy looking around the house for the "artifacts," looks up and was quite surprise herself. Naruto actually looks quite handsome, if you can push aside his usual behavior long enough to feast upon his handsomeness. If Sasuke didn't exist and if Naruto didn't act like a hyperactive knucklehead most of the time, Sakura was sure she would be crushing on the blond. _"Back to reality!" _The inner Sakura woke her up from her daze, at the same time reminding her that Sasuke **exists** and that Naruto really **is **a **hyperactive knucklehead.**

"Ohayo Naruto," Sakura managed to greet Naruto politely since she pities the guy trying so hard to impress her. "Are you ready?"

"Yup!" Naruto answered with a bright, and not to mention cute, smile.

Sakura fought the urge blushed at the smiling face. _"He just looks so **adorable!**_" The pink-head is seriously thinking over whether she should still chase after Sasuke. Even though he's perfect, he pays no attention to anyone around him, unlike Naruto, in this state anyways.

The two walk out side-by-side, leaving a very jealous Sasuke behind.


	7. Chapter 7: Only Friends

Hellloo! This chapter is kinda touchy and kinda sad, but i'll try to make the next one cheerful and funny. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: me no own

* * *

**Chapter 7: Only Friends  
**

The walk from Sasuke's house to the bridge was possibly the weirdest walk Sakura and Naruto have ever experienced. The minute they left the house, girls continued showing up and pretended to be greeting to Sakura or Naruto, hoping they'd get to hang with them or something.

"_WHORES!" yelled inner Sakura. "They're just swooning on him 'cuz he looks better today!"_ Sakura had guessed that these girls were only noticing Naruto and treating him like a human being was because of his sudden change in appearance. At one point, she was so annoyed that she just exploded and sent the girls flying to the other side of the village, which earned her a surprised look from everyone who witnessed that. Naruto, on the other hand, just stared at her blankly.

Naruto had no idea what was with those girls. Maybe he really is that slow or maybe he just doesn't get girls and their natural behaviors. Regardless which reason it was, the blond found it strange and tried to come up with possible answers, but he came no where close to the real answer.

Finally, the two reached the bridge, half panting and gasping for air after almost having to run from those girls. Sakura had to admit that the blond's appearance today earned him a new spot in her mind.

"Wow that was almost scary. It was like being chased by predators and we suddenly became the preys," said Naruto between breaths.

"Yea, those girls' eyes looked like they could devour us in one bite," Sakura exaggerated.

Naruto stopped panting and stretched out by raising his arms high up and stood tip-toe for a few seconds. "So, now what should we do? We obviously couldn't go back to the market if we wanna live long enough to see tomorrow."

"Well, we could just sit out here. I wasn't really planning for us to go anywhere anyways."

The blond thought over the girl's suggestion for a little bit before agreeing, "Yea, it's a nice day so it would probably be better if we stay outside."

They sat down on the river bank and started talking about ninja academy, their childhood, and other random things. Then, Sakura suddenly remembered the reason that she asked him to meet her today, the one thing they haven't talked about this whole time.

"Ano, Naruto?" Sakura was uncertain of how to lead onto the subject without seeming to be too abrupt or random.

"Yea Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked in a very polite tone and manner.

Sakura could almost burst out crying, apologizing to Naruto for manipulating their relationship for the use of her own selfish desire. But she managed to control herself, look past her guilt and just hit the subject.

"How come you don't like Sasuke-kun? I mean, it seems like everyone in the whole village likes him, but you always seem to be holding a grudge against him or something," Sasuke let it all out, feeling relieve but nervous at Naruto's response.

There was a long time of silence between the two. The pink-head almost gave up and opened her mouth, deciding to change the subject, when the blond started talking.

"It's not that I don't like Sasuke. I don't hold a grudge against him or anything. There's just always some type of connection between us that makes me wanna oppose him in everything," Naruto said, pausing for a moment and then continued, "but maybe I do hold some kind of dislike toward him, something strong enough to make me oppose him so much."

Sakura thought over what Naruto said and then asked, "Would you worry about Sasuke? Or get nervous if he's injured?"

"I guess I would. I mean we're teammates and friends after all, so it would be inhumane for me to not care about him one bit," Naruto replied with hints of hesitation in his tone, which didn't escape the observant Sakura.

Sakura needed to tell the blond the truth behind their 'date' right now, or she'll live the rest of her life with guilt.

"Naruto, I need to tell you something," Sakura began. "The reason that I asked you to come meet me here today wasn't because I wanted to…date you. It was because…I wanted to know what has been going on between you and Sasuke lately. I'm sorry."

The blond looked at Sakura for a second, blinked, and then asked, "Why do you wanna know what's going on between Sasuke and me?"

"Well, for several days now, you two have been acting strangely whenever the other is present. Then, I thought that since Sasuke wouldn't talk to me, I could maybe get the answer from you. I'm so sorry."

Naruto was silent for a few seconds, and then chuckled. Sakura stared wide-eyed at the chuckling boy, anticipating for an explanation.

"I feel so silly, like a fool. I should have known that you wouldn't move on from Sasuke all of a sudden, and that there was something wrong with this Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to blame you. I'm just kinda mad at myself for thinking that I'd actually have a chance with you all this time."

Sakura could feel the pain in his tone; the soaring pain shooting through his heart like an arrow. "Naruto, I value our friendship and hold it dear. You're a very good friend, but you'd make a better boyfriend for some other lucky girl."

"I lost to Sasuke, didn't I?" asked Naruto, whose tone suddenly changed into a emotionless one.

"No you didn't lose to Sasuke, Naruto," Sakura tried to explain, hoping to make the blond feel better. "Sasuke or not, I'd always see you as a dear friend and nothing more. I'm sorry, Naruto."

"I see." The blond was silent for a while and then started speaking again, "Now I think I know why I've always oppose Sasuke before. It was out of jealousy; I couldn't stand seeing you fall for that callous bastard and completely ignoring me. But now that you say it's not because of Sasuke that you don't like me that way, then I guess I have no point in opposing Sasuke any longer." Naruto showed a soft smile, the smile that Sakura had been hoping to see throughout this whole conversation.

"I'm glad you understand, Naruto," Sakura said with great relief. Little did she know that the soft smile is only covering the barely restrained pain.


	8. Chapter 8: New Feeling

Hi guys! I read your reviews and one really caught my attention.

_Torahamutaro-chan: Awe...poor Naruto! Don't worry little kitsune-kun, Sasuke will make you feel better in the next chapter. Ne Kagiyuki-san? _

I wonder if it's just too obvious or Torahamutaro-chan has psychis abilities. Lol. And also, seems like some of you don't really like Sakura, especially how she treats him from the series. But I'm gonna build a nice image of Sakura in this story 'cuz she seems pretty nice in the series, but I didn't get too far so I wouldn't know that much ; So I'm gonna stop taking up your time now and let you read the new chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: no own

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**Chapter 8: New Feeling**

Sasuke had the TV turned on and sat in front of it but not paying any attention to it. All he's thinking about is Naruto and Sakura going out and having fun. Obviously Sasuke isn't jealous of Naruto because he stole Sakura. He was jealous of Sakura, getting the blond worked up and going out with him this instance. His mind ran through all the possible activities they could be doing, and he even thought about them kissing. When that came up, Sasuke's face scrunched up and smoke was coming out of his ears. If someone saw him at that time, they would've thought that Sasuke was ready to massacre the whole village.

Finally, the raven-haired boy heard rattling keys at the door. He instantly turned around just on time to see the blond hugs Sakura. Sasuke was using everything to restrain himself from storming to the door and strangle that pink-head to death. The raven-haired boy finally calmed down when Naruto closed the door, saying "Hi" to Sasuke, climbed the stairs, and went into their room. Sasuke's mind was so occupied with jealousy that he didn't even hear his inner self talking to him until Naruto was in his room.

"_Stupid idiot! You're being so stupid right now! You got so worked up in jealousy that you didn't even notice his unusual behavior," yelled Sasuke's inner self._

"_What are you talking about? Naruto seems fine," replied the other Sasuke._

"_Did jealousy make you fucking stupid or something? He's obviously not fine. When he came home, he didn't gloat or talked about what they did on the date. He even said 'Hi' to you!"_

"_Now that you say it, he did act weird. I'm gonna go check on him."_

After his confrontation with his inner self, Sasuke turned off the TV and quietly walked up the stairs and stopped when he heard the quiet sobbing coming from their room. Sasuke softly knocked and he heard the sobbing stop but there was no response. He knocked again, a little louder this time, but there was still no response.

"_Just walk in there!" demanded inner Sasuke._

"_No I can't just walk in on him. I'd crush his pride by seeing him cry," the other defended._

"_Well, are ya gonna just stand here all day long? And let him cry his eyes out!"_

A few minutes pass by and the sobbing inside resumed. The sobbing seemed to sneak into Sasuke's heart and fill it with pain and sorrow. He couldn't take it anymore, so he opened the door to find a crouching Naruto next to the window. When the blond looked up, anyone could clearly see his puffy watery blue eyes even from a great distance. Sasuke's heart melted as he rushed over and kneel down in front of Naruto.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" asked Sasuke in a gentle and caring voice.

The blond buried his face in his arms and pretended to not have heard Sasuke, or even know he entered the room. Then, he felt gentle hands slowly raised his face and he heard an almost inaudible "Don't cry."

In a split second, Sasuke pulled Naruto into his arms and hugged him tight, like he was trying to shield Naruto from the pain or squeeze it out of him. Surprisingly, Naruto snuggled into the other boy's embrace. They stayed like that until nighttime, when the moon shines and stars twinkle. The raven-haired boy wanted to ask Naruto what happened, but he didn't because he knew that the blond wasn't ready to start talking about it without crying.

Sasuke released the blond from the embrace when he heard the other's stomach growling. He chuckled and said, "I guess you're hungry now."

Even though Naruto didn't response, the other boy knew the answer. He picked the blond up and carried him downstairs, having the blond still curled up like a ball. Sasuke let the blond lie on the couch while he cooked dinner.

After they finished eating dinner, Sasuke volunteered to wash the dishes while Naruto brushed his teeth and go to bed. When they were both in bed, Sasuke listened to Naruto's breathing, making sure he was asleep and not sobbing quietly on the other side of the bed.

* * *

Sasuke was the first to wake up, although he was quite reluctant because of the coziness surrounding him. When he opened his eyes, he found out that the blond had managed to crawl onto his side of the bed and snuggled comfortably next to him, with Naruto's head lying on top of Sasuke's chest. The raven-haired one wasn't going to break this comfort by getting up, but as time pass by, he found it harder and harder to stay in that position. He had to go use the bathroom!

So he carefully tried to lift Naruto up to move him to another part of the bed, but Naruto clung onto Sasuke's left arm. _So much for that._ Sasuke tried to ease his arm away from the blond but each one of his movement only caused the blond to hug his arm even tighter.

"_Now what am I supposed to do? Got any suggestion?" asked the outer Sasuke._

"_Only one thing you could do, but you might not be able to handle it," inner Sasuke said teasingly._

"_Whatever! Just tell me what it is," outer Sasuke grinded._

"_Just wake him up so he could let go of you."_

"_I COULD'VE FIGURED THAT OUT!"_

As much as he hates it, Sasuke had no other choice. So he gently taps on the blond's shoulder with his free hand. No response. Then he tried shaking the shoulder gently. Still no response. Sasuke, a bit irritated now, knocks the blond on the head hard, causing him to jump up and at the same time flinging Sasuke to the wall. Luckily, the raven-haired boy had good reflexes and simply jumped off the wall.

"Wah- What happened?" asked Naruto, still recovering from the shock of the sudden 'attack.'

"Hmph. You were dead asleep and clung onto me like a leech," Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Che. Who told you to share the bed with me?"

"This. Is. My. House." Sasuke said with an apparent nerve popping out on his forehead. He can't believe that one little blond can make him lose all self-control that he has been working on ever since Itachi killed his parents. To prevent any more emotional outbreaks, Sasuke left the room and headed for the bathroom.

Right after Sasuke left, Naruto's signature grin faded as his eyes became hazy. He wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his head on the knees. His mind is rerunning clips of what happened yesterday, mostly the conversation Sakura and he had at the bridge.

"_Sasuke or not, I'd always see you as a dear friend and nothing more."_

"_I guess I have no point in opposing Sasuke any longer."_

The blond buried his face into his knees and closed his eyes, drawing into his sea of thoughts. _Was it really out of jealousy that I argued with Sasuke all the time? If my feelings toward him were all based on jealousy, then why don't I feel any different now? Was it true that I opposed Sasuke out of jealousy? Or was it based on something else? Like rivalry? Or friendship?_

_What is this bitter-sweet feeling I have for him?_


	9. Chapter 9: First Love

Hi readers! This chapter isn't as touching as the last one, but I did manage to squeeze in some comedy. Personally, I don't like having to always deal with deeply emotional stuff so the comedy helps to resolve the serious atmosphere. Well, enjoy!

Disclaimer: no owning

* * *

**Chapter 9: First Love**

Naruto recovered almost completely through the past few days. The only thing that's different about him is that he doesn't seem to be picking on Sasuke as much, and vice-versa. The raven-haired boy wondered if this has to do with that 'date' or if this was because he took care of the blond for the past few days.

_I'm gonna find out the truth today._

At first, Sasuke was quite hesitant about the course of action he's about to take. For one, he wasn't sure if he can really handle the truth. He chased after the blond all this time but never thought about the blond turning around to face him. Another reason is that he wasn't sure if that girl will tell him the truth willingly or just make something up for her own benefit.

_But no matter what, I still have to do this._

The Uchiha boy walked down the street, wondering where would be the best place to go look for her since today was supposed to be a day off for everyone. Luckily, he didn't have to worry about that for long because he saw her walking in his direction. It didn't take her long to spot him and waved her hand and yelled "SASUKE-KUUUUNNN!"

* * *

Sakura woke up early this morning and decided to head out early, even on a day off. After her 'date' with Naruto, she can't help but feel guilt and pity ever since.

"_Go see how he's doing if ya worried. SHEESH!" shouted inner Sakura._

"_But what should I say when I see him? And what if Sasuke happens to be nearby? I don't even know if Naruto had told Sasuke about that yet," replied the other Sakura._

"_Suck it up! Face it like a warrior! In a battle, your spirit and beliefs can't be swaying like this!"_

"_You're right. I'll go to Sasuke's house today and get all these things cleared up. Hopefully I'll be able to make it home afterwards."_

With that decision made, Sakura headed out toward Sasuke's house, running over what she should say like an actress rehearsing for a scene. It didn't help when she spot the Uchiha heir walking in her direction.

_He's bound to have seen me already. What should I do? Pretend like I didn't see him because I'm so lost in thoughts?_

"_Just wave at him and greet him like normal, baka!" demanded the inner Sakura._

_I guess that's the only thing I can do right now._

So the pink-head waved and greeted Sasuke from a distance, then quickened her pace toward him.

_This shouldn't be hard. I'll just pretend like I'm so excited to see him and he'll just brush me off. Then I'll head to his house to talk to Naruto without having to deal with Sasuke._

* * *

_Great! She's rushing over here now._

"_You call yourself an Uchiha and you can't handle one pink leech," inner Sasuke stated in a calm, low voice._

"_You don't have to deal with her so you wouldn't know the pain. You're always in here while I take all the physical attacks from her, and they worse than enemies' attacks," retorted the other Sasuke._

"_Yea yea whatever. Just suck it up and get this over with. You're bothering me every time you're uncertain."_

When Sakura was close, Sasuke started waved but his face remained emotionless.

"Hi Sakura," he greeted.

"Konichiwa, Sasuke-kun," replied Sakura. She immediately put on her act and started asking numerous questions to annoy Sasuke so he would hurry and shake her off.

"Where are you planning on going Sasuke?"

"…"

"We should spend the day together since you look like you've recovered quite a lot!"

There was silence between them for a while, and Sakura could clearly see the annoyance on the boy's face. _Perfect! Everything is going as planned._

"Actually, I was thinking of the same thing," Sasuke said calmly.

"_WHAT! NOOOO! MY PLAN! ALL RUINED!" yelled inner Sakura, pulling at her hair._

Sakura tried to hide her shock as well as disappointment. She gradually nodded but stepped away from Sasuke as if in fear.

* * *

They walked in silence to the bridge; of course there were occasional interruptions from Sasuke's fan-girls. When they got there, the pink-headed girl pulled herself onto the railing and dangled her legs and smiled warmly at the atmosphere. Sasuke leaned on the railing on the other side of the bridge, his face unchanged.

"So, Sasuke-kun. What do you wanna do?" asked Sakura, still smiling. However, on the inside, she's so confused as to why Sasuke wanted to spend time with her all of a sudden.

"_What's wrong with this! You should be happy he's finally agreeing to spend time with you!" yelled inner Sakura._

"_B- But…I don't know. For some reason, after that talk with Naruto, I feel differently around Sasuke. I don't feel my heart skip or my blood rushing; I just feel normal, like he's no different from anyone else."_

"_NANI! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING!"_

"_I- I'm not sure if I'm still crushing on Sasuke. Every time I'm with him, I'm always rejected and neglected by him. The only time when he's actually paying to me is when we're engaged in battles," Sakura paused for a moment and added, "If we weren't on the same team, I don't think he would even look at me."_

Even knowing that Sasuke has always rejected her as anything more than a teammate, Sakura still doesn't feel any pain. On the other hand, she felt quite relieved, like tons of weight has been lifted off of her shoulders.

"I want to talk to you…about what happened between you and Naruto," Sasuke eventually said.

Sakura was wide-eyed with shock. _When has Sasuke take such notice of Naruto?_ But her state of shock didn't last long, and she returned to her warm, smiling face.

"We talked about lots of things. But I guess you wouldn't be interested in hearing any of those petty things," teased Sakura.

The raven-haired boy was somewhat shocked but irritated at the same time. He was shocked that she'd tell him so easily without setting any conditions. But he was irritated that she teased with him, getting him eager to find out what they talked about but used his personality against him. Sakura saw the anger expression gradually dominating Sasuke's face and decided to get serious before anyone gets hurt; more specifically, her.

"I told Naruto that we can only be friends and nothing more. Then he asked is it because of you, but I told him even if you never existed, we'd still remain friends," Sakura paused for a moment to look straight into Sasuke's deep, dark eyes before continuing, "I know you like Naruto, and it's been getting clearer with every second you spend with him. Naruto was always oblivious to your actions because he liked me, but now that I'm out of his mind, he'll start noticing you." Then, with a cheery and teasing tone, the girl added, "Don't forget to thank me when you two get married!"

Sasuke didn't reply and just stood there, looking back into Sakura's eyes. Then, he focused his eyes on the sky and just melted into the clear blue above him, which reminded him so much of Naruto's eyes. "Why are you telling me all this? I thought you like me?"

Sakura smiled softly and jumped down from the railing. She went over to Sasuke and placed a hand on his shoulder, then said, "I **liked** you. You still have a special place in my heart, but it's now a place of first crush. Now, I see you as a teammate, as a friend, and as an idol.

"Sasuke, I know Naruto likes you. I may be his 'first crush,' but you'll become his 'first love.'"

With that said, she left Sasuke standing at the bridge, still looking up at the vast blue sky.

_First love huh? Do I really want to be his first love?_


	10. Chapter 10: Confession

Hello! Another chapter with Sakura! But she won't be annoying (much) in this one. Instead, she's actually gonna offer some (you decide you or bad) advices! The story is getting close to the end. Enjoy!

Disclaimer : I don't own anything; except for the computer I use to write this xP

* * *

**Chapter 10: Confession**

After the talk with Sasuke, Sakura decided to go talk to Naruto before her former object-of-obsession talks to him. From the look on Sasuke's face, the pink-haired girl wasn't sure if it's a good thing for them to talk. She knew that Naruto loves Sasuke, but she's not sure if he had realized his own feelings yet.

"_Grr…why am I butting in on their business!" questioned inner Sakura, who grew quite irritated from all the rushing and planning._

"_We need to help them. Naruto is our good friend and Sasuke is our idol. It's only right to help them," explained outer Sakura. Then she added, "Besides, I love being a matchmaker."_

The pink-head reached Sasuke's house and bumped right into the person she was looking for.

"Hi Naruto! Where are you going?"

"Oh hi Sakura-chan! I was just leaving to get some ramen at Ichikaru. Wanna come with me?" the blond offered cheerfully.

"Sure! I feel kinda hungry anyways," Sakura agreed and walked with Naruto to the ramen stand.

Naruto hummed, with his arms raised and hands placed on the back of his head, while his blue eyes looked up to the sky. Sakura maintained her usual posture as well, but her mind is racing through all the things she needed to talk to the blond about.

* * *

Sasuke's walk home was quiet because he gave off a warning aura that dares anyone to disturb him to risk losing their life. The whole time, he thought about what Sakura said. For once in all their time spent together, the girl had managed to say something valuable and memorable. Some part of him wanted to believe in the girl's words, wanted them to be true. But the other part of him, however, wanted her to be wrong, wanted those things to be false. The struggle between the two sides can't erase the fact that Sakura is always right when she gets serious. 

_A relationship will get in the way of avenging my clan._

The boy entered the house, only to find it empty. He felt relieved that he didn't have to face the blond right now, because he wouldn't know how to act around Naruto in this state. Sasuke went straight upstairs to the study and listened to his iTunes while playing Solitaire.

* * *

"I'm glad you feel much better now, Naruto," Sakura said in a soft tone, which broke the silence that settled ever since they got to Ichikaru. 

"Hm?" Naruto slurped up the noodles in his mouth and continued, "What are you talking about?" the blond asked even though he had a good idea of what she means.

"Well, you still remember our conversation at the bridge several days ago. I was fooled by your smile back then, and thought you were fine. But I finally realized that you weren't, that you were only faking it so that I wouldn't have to worry," Sakura paused for a moment to eat some more ramen before continuing, "Sasuke must have helped you out a lot ne?"

"D- don't get any wrong idea, Sakura-chan. We live in the same house after all, and I guess he gets annoyed seeing a gloomy person all the time," Naruto defended, afraid that Sakura might dislike him because she was jealous.

"Don't worry, Naruto. I'm not going to yell at you or something out of jealousy," Sakura reassured the slightly frightened blond when she sensed his fear. "I've moved on…from Sasuke. Now, he's only a friend and a teammate, nothing more to me."

"Oh, I see," Naruto said with sympathy in his voice. He continued chowing down on his ramen.

"But you know what irritates me? It's when two people who are obviously in love with each other are either too afraid or in denial to accept each other. That's what I'm seeing with you and Sasuke."

At that, Naruto choked on the noodle he was slurping on. It took him quite a while to recover and when he did, he asked, "Nani? Are you out of your mind, Sakura? Sasuke and I? That's impossible!"

"Right. You guys can face Haku and life-threatening things but you just can't accept each other's love?"

"I don't feel that way toward him! Sasuke is my friend, rival, and teammate. That's all he'll ever be!" the blond retorted.

"Don't deny your own feelings, Naruto. It's okay to lie to others about it but you can't lie to yourself."

"But even if I do love him, then what?" Naruto wondered in a whisper, his eyes hazy. "It's not like some fairy tale where we'd live happily ever after. He still has to avenge and revive his clan. Even if we become a couple, it'll only be a temporary thing. Eventually, he'll have to marry someone who could help him revive his clan. If that's what's gonna happen, then I'd rather feel the pain now than to feel tremendous heartbreak later."

Sakura sympathized with Naruto on his perspective. Everything he said was true, and there was nothing they can do to change that. The only person who could change those things would be Sasuke, but the girl knew he'd be too stubborn to let go of his vengeance and goal in life.

"But you should tell him your feelings. There might be a chance for the two of you. I think it's better to have experienced love and being loved than living a dull life just because I'm too afraid of getting hurt by love."

Naruto considered the girl's words for a while, and then decided to push it off. He finished his ramen and paid for both of them. He bid goodbye with Sakura and headed home.

* * *

The music played was so loud that Naruto could hear even when the study's door was closed. He guessed Sasuke was already home. The blond didn't want to bother the other boy and he wanted some time alone, so he went to the living room and watched TV on low volume. Although he was looking at the TV, he wasn't really paying attention. Sakura's words started coming back to his mind. 

"_There might be a chance for the two of you."_

"_I think it's better to have experienced love and being loved than living a dull life just because I'm too afraid of getting hurt by love."_

"…_**tell him your feelings."**_

_Should I tell him my feelings? Experience a short-lived happiness and then risk having a heartbreak afterwards._

_Or should I stay this way? Protecting myself and live a dull life._

_**What should I do?**_

Naruto was interrupted from his thoughts when Sasuke sat down next to him on the couch. A moment of awkward silence passed by before the two boys break it.

"I wanna talk to you," they both said in unison. Naruto laughed nervously while Sasuke chuckled inwardly. He simply looked at the blond but his eyes told the other boy that he got his full undivided attention.

"Well, I-I wanna thank you for…you know…being there for me for the past few days," Naruto said nervously, using every ounce of energy to force the words out. His mind cursed himself for being able to fight in life-threatening battles but couldn't handle confessing love.

"No problem."

Naruto glanced at Sasuke's solemn face for a quick second before looking away and continued, "I-I wanna tell you s-something t-that…"

Sasuke widened his eyes in disbelief. _Is he gonna ... **confess?** _He didn't want the blond to confess so he started to say something when his lips were suddenly attacked by…yep, none other than our Naruto's. The blond, too nervous to say the three words he wanted to say, ended up kissing the other boy.

Naruto's sudden 'attack' caused Sasuke to lose balance, which resulted in having the raven-haired boy laying face up on the couch while the blond's body pressed firmly on top of Sasuke's. Caught in such a compromising situation, Sasuke's mind couldn't manage his body to do anything but allow the blond's tongue to enter his mouth. They kissed for what seemed to be like forever before the blond lifted his head gasping for air.

Sasuke regained consciousness in mere seconds and sat up. He stood up and looked at the blond for a few seconds, then said, "I'm sorry, Naruto. I can't love you." After that was said, he rushed out the door, leaving behind a still dazed blond.

* * *

Author: I'm not sure if I should just leave the story like this and have a sad ending or add another chapter and make a happy ending. Personally, I like sad endings but you guys get to decide. Just tell me if I should have a happy ending or a sad one in your reviews. Ja! 


	11. Chapter 11: Finally Accepted

LAST CHAPTER! I almost thought I'd have to wait til next week before I could upload this chapter but luckily my computer pitied me and decided to let me access the internet. Well, since all of you wanted a happy ending and a clear explanation of why Sasuke rejected Naruto, here it is.

I tried to add some humor because most of this contains deep, serious stuff but couldn't. So bear with me because it's the last chapter anyways. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: no owning

* * *

**Chapter 11: Finally Accepted**

A figure dressed in dark blue quietly walked up to a big house that seemed like a mansion. He walked through the gates and strolled up to the wooden double doors of the house. His fingers traced the patterns on the door as he reminisce old memories.

_Four years passed by already huh? That day, I walked out of these doors, as well as walking out of my former life. I also walked out of his life too._

Sasuke checked the door and found it unlocked. The door slowly opened as Sasuke entered the house.

_Nothing changed here. But have you changed, Naruto?_

He took his time walking around the house, touching everything he sees as if making sure that this wasn't a dream or some illusion. When he entered his bedroom, he found the room quite neat but there were hints that it was used. For example, there was a stack of clean clothes on the bed, and the closet had a variety number of clothing Sasuke knew he didn't own.

_I wonder if he still lives here._

Just as he thought that, he felt the presence of a ninja approaching. The raven-haired teen looked out the window and saw a tall, tanned and blond teen carrying a grocery bag walking up to the house. A glint of joy and hope leapt through Sasuke since it looks like the blond is still living here and still remember Sasuke.

* * *

Right when he walked through the door, Naruto felt a familiar aura surrounding him. 

_This feels like… Sasuke._

Even with that thought, the blond shrugged it off because he thought that maybe his memories of Sasuke is just haunting him. When Sasuke left that day, Naruto continued sitting there for a few minutes before registering everything that happened. He figured that he'd leave the other boy alone a while, but when nightfall came and Sasuke still haven't returned, he went all around town looking for him. It was too late then.

Naruto continued living in Sasuke's house, always holding onto the hope that one day, Sasuke would return to his house and he would be the first to see him. So he waited like that for four years, while he became a Chuunin, and then a Jounin.

The blond also developed a new perspective during the past four years. He thought that if he worked hard and become powerful, Sasuke would seek him, even if all Sasuke would want was to fight him. After every mission, Naruto would hurry home, to see if Sasuke was there. But of course, he was disappointed every time.

Naruto decided to put away the grocery and then take a nice long bath. He walked upstairs and went straight to the bathroom. The bath lasted for half an hour, in which Sasuke remained sitting in his former bedroom, running through his thoughts.

He didn't know what to say to the blond. Telling the truth was one way, but he feared that the blond might get mad at how selfish Sasuke was and just leave him. Sasuke had summoned a lot of strength to be able to come back here and face this fact. He wasn't ready to be rejected or heartbroken so soon.

_But back then, I broke **his** hear. I rejected him._

Suddenly, the door to the bedroom opened as the blond walked in, only wearing his pants and his hair was still wet. When he looked up, his eyes grew wide. Naruto tried to decipher whether this was an illusion his mind played on him, or reality. Sasuke looked up as well and their eyes locked. They just looked at each other across the room, both forgot everything except breathing.

"S-Sa-suke?" the blond finally managed to force the word out.

"Naruto," replied Sasuke in a soft and caring tone. He stood up from the bed and before he knew it, the blond had rushed up and hugged him tight. Even when they're 17, the blond was still shorter than Sasuke. So Sasuke ran his fingers through the silky blond hair while his free arm hugged the other teen's shoulders tightly.

"I missed you," Naruto said after a while.

"I missed you too."

Suddenly Naruto snapped out of his joy and turned onto anger. He was mad at Sasuke for walking out that day and never returned. He was mad at Sasuke for not even bothering to send him a message to prove that he even existed through the past four years. He was so mad that he didn't even know what to say and slumped onto the floor and cried.

Sasuke kneeled down and held the blond's body in his arms. The warmth of his body tugged at the raven-haired teen's heart, making him say everything without having the blond to ask.

"I'm sorry I left you four years ago," Sasuke started explaining. "I loved you, Naruto. And I still love you until this day. The reason that I rejected you that day was because I thought having a relationship would only delay my clan's vengeance. You can call selfish because I know I was selfish when I rejected you like that."

Naruto stopped crying and looked up into Sasuke's eyes then asked, "What were you doing for the past four years?"

"I trained and traveled to every land to seek for powerful opponents who would help me improve my skills. Finally, all my hard work paid off when I managed to kill Itachi last month. It was after I killed Itachi that I realized this feeling of emptiness inside. I've always thought that when I kill Itachi, I'll be satisfied and could start living a carefree life. But I was wrong, because even after I killed him, I still felt that same emptiness. Every night, I'd dream of you. My mind would replay the memories we shared. So I decided to go back here to see how you were doing."

After a moment of silence passed by, Sasuke cupped Naruto's face in his warm hands and looked deep into those watery blue eyes. He softly said, "Please forgive me, Naruto. I was afraid, afraid that a bond with you would make me hesitate and keep me from avenging my clan."

"But everything you did clearly showed your love for me," Naruto said with inquiry in his tone.

"I didn't care back then because I knew you liked Sakura, and you'd be oblivious to everything I do for you. But when Sakura told me that she rejected you, I knew that you'd become more aware of my actions. Loving someone and being in a relationship with someone are two different things that I didn't want to explore."

"So have you decided?" asked Naruto, hope glinting in his eyes.

"I have. I've learned to accept the fact that love cannot be pushed away. I love you and I'm not afraid of it anymore. Do you still love me?"

Just as Sasuke finished that question, Naruto leaned up to Sasuke's face and kissed him passionately. They allowed each other to explore their mouths with their tongues and after a minute, they were both out of breath.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Naruto managed to smile before toppling on the floor under Sasuke. They shared another kiss; a kiss that will prints deep into their memories; a kiss that served as evidence for their relationship; a kiss that will tie them together for eternity.

**:-:**THE END**:-:  
**

* * *

I really suck at making an ending. Hopefully this one was good enough. Thank you guys for being patient and followed along this whole story, in spite of my beginner's skills. Thank you so much and hope you'll read my future stories! Sayonara. 


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